Hongtao Sun
Dr. Sun's research lies at the intersection of energy science, functional materials, and advanced manufacturing. The focus of his lab at Penn State is on co-designing materials, structures, and manufacturing processes across hierarchical length scales, particularly advancing in energy conversion and storage, thermal management, sensing, and detections.
In the News
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Recent Publications
Robust LiNi0.6Mn0.4O2Cathode Achieved from the Dual-Function Strategy of Microstructural Stress Dissipation and Crystalline Phase Ion Transport Improvement
Li, Y., Chen, S., Zhang, Q., Zhang, Y., Zhou, Z., Cui, C., Sun, H., Zhu, J. & Duan, X., Jan 27 2026, In: ACS nano. 20, 3, p. 2975-2986 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
All-in-one cathode design for all-solid-state batteries
Sun, H., Jan 2026, In: Nature Reviews Materials. 11, 1, p. 2-4 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Cooperative interface catalysis and electronic regulation induced by single atomic tin in high-performance potassium-ion batteries
Yuan, Y., Yu, F., Chen, S., Deng, H., Zhao, Q., Chen, W., Jia, X., Zhang, Q., Sun, H. & Zhu, J., Apr 2026, In: Journal of Energy Chemistry. 115, p. 759-768 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Breaking the capacity-stability trade-off in layered oxide cathodes for Na-ion batteries via phase regulation
Zhang, Q., Sun, H., Lu, B., Zhu, J. & Zhang, Y., Jan 1 2026, In: Chemical Engineering Journal. 527, 171864.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Deep P-C Interface Reconstruction for High-Performance Potassium Storage
Chen, W., Deng, H., Guo, Y., Chen, S., Yuan, Y., Jia, X., Zhang, Q., Zhao, Q., Guo, X., Sun, H., Zhu, J. & Lu, B., Feb 26 2025, In: Advanced Functional Materials. 35, 9, 2416361.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Selective Catalysis-Mediated Interface to Stabilize Antimony Atom-Cluster Anode for Robust Potassium-Ion Batteries
Chen, S., Yu, F., Deng, H., Chen, W., Sun, H., Zhu, J. & Lu, B., Oct 27 2025, In: Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. 64, 44, e202511870.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Tailoring Gel Polymer Electrolytes for Advancing Quasi-Solid-State Batteries
Duan, L., Zhang, J., Alcoutlabi, M. & Sun, H., Jun 23 2025, In: Advanced Materials Interfaces. 12, 12, 2401028.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Active and passive high-entropy shell enabling high rate and durable sodium manganese hexacyanoferrate cathode for sodium ion batteries
Han, J., Xu, C., Zhao, J., Sun, H., Zhang, X. & Wang, G., Apr 30 2025, In: Journal of Power Sources. 636, 236577.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Promoting Robust Potassium Storage via Engineered Zn─S Bond
Jia, X., Chen, H., Sun, H., Zhu, J. & Lu, B., Aug 26 2025, In: Advanced Energy Materials. 15, 32, 2501487.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Multilayer Composite Electrodes for Simultaneously Improved Mechanical and Electrochemical Performance
Nie, B., Wang, T. W., Lee, S. W. & Sun, H., Feb 12 2025, In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 17, 6, p. 9452-9459 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Probing cold sintering-regulated interfaces and integration of polymer-in-ceramic solid-state electrolytes
Nie, B., Wang, T. W., Lee, S. W., Zhang, J. & Sun, H., Apr 2025, In: Materials Today Energy. 49, 101829.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Unveiling multifunctional synthetic boundaries for enhanced mechanical and electrochemical performance in densified thick composite electrodes
Nie, B., Lee, S. W., Wang, T. W., Liu, T., Li, J. & Sun, H., Dec 2025, In: Nature communications. 16, 1, 9489.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Micron Size NaCrO2 Particles Enable High-loading Dry-processed Electrode for Sodium Ion Batteries
Wu, J., Tang, W., Yang, H., Lee, D. J., Xu, D., Li, F., Qin, J., Kim, S., Gao, H., Jeon, Y., Tran, D., Chen, Y., Mu, A., Bian, W., Sun, H. & Chen, Z., Jun 12 2025, In: Small. 21, 23, 2501504.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Halftone-encoded 4D printing of stimulus-reconfigurable binary domains for cephalopod-inspired synthetic smart skins
Yang, H., Li, H., Zhang, J., Liu, T., Qi, H. J. & Sun, H., Dec 2025, In: Nature communications. 16, 1, 9931.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Interface engineering and integration of ceramic-polymer composites via cold sintering process
Zhang, J., Gomez, E. D. & Sun, H., Nov 15 2025, In: Composites Part B: Engineering. 307, 112929.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
